Kevin Nealon set to create comic fireworks at Helium

By DAVID KLEINMAN, For 21st Century Media News Service

Friday, July 5, 2013

Kevin Nealon will perform at Helium Comedy Club Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6.

If keeping busy in Hollywood is a sign of career vitality, then Kevin Nealon has a lot to be optimistic about as he approaches his 60th birthday and the start of his third decade as an actor and comedian.

“I’m surprised to realize as I get older that I would still feel like a 25-year-old, even though people around me seem to be dropping like flies. I’m hoping that my career continues in the slow and steady upward curve that it has always gone.”

Graduating from Sacred Heart University with a B.A. in marketing, Nealon’s career path had a different trajectory than might have been expected. A booking on “The Tonight Show” in 1984 and being cast as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live” two years later quelled any wandering faith in his ability to succeed in the entertainment industry.

“My parents had always been supportive and encouraging, but in hindsight they admitted initially they were concerned about my choice of profession,” he admitted.

As Nealon’s eighth and final year playing a supporting role on “Weeds” comes to a close, he’s hoping for bigger parts in films or a lead in a sitcom. For now, he’s shooting a minor role in “Blended,” a film starring and directed by his former “Saturday Night Live” co-star Adam Sandler, currently shooting in South Africa.

“(It’s) an incredible experience,” Nealon exclaimed. “It’s surreal being this far away from home. It’s a totally different world. It’s winter here now and there are animals within a stone’s throw that can rip you apart without batting an eye. You really get a feel for that whole ‘survival of the fittest’ concept.”

While filming on another continent, Nealon won’t be able to take part in traditional Fourth of July activities, but he has his own version of celebrations in mind.

“Fireworks have become too predictable. This year I’m going to close my eyes and rub them really hard. You see all kinds of stars shooting around, much better than fireworks and without the traffic jams,” Nealon joked.

After shooting wraps onlocation, Nealon’s taking a flight halfway around the globe to JFK Airport to perform a set at Helium Comedy Club on July 6 and 7 in Philadelphia.

“I’ve always enjoyed the art form of stand-up, the immediacy of the audience’s responses and having complete control over my material,” Nealon wrote via email. “I prefer to ad-lib as much of my material as possible, although some nights it’s more than others.”

Philadelphia is a frequent stop for Nealon on the comedy circuit tours he’s performed throughout his career. It’s laziness, not worry of being recognized, that’s deterred Nealon from checking out one of the city’s most historic monuments during his many visits.

“One of these days, there won’t be a line to see the Liberty Bell and I’ll get to see it,” he said.

Unlike some of his more high-profile co-stars, like Jack Nicholson in “Anger Management,” Nealon remains relatively unfazed by the exposure of being a performer that some find beyond overwhelming.

“I can pretty much go anywhere and not get annoyingly harassed by fans, yet get some of the perks that come with celebrity. I have friends in the business that can’t even go to a restaurant unless they get a table in the back room. I’ve kind of gotten used to living in the public eye, but when I think about it boggles my mind.”

Although Nealon can walk easily down the street without being bothered, he certainly has enough support to fill a room, four times over and year after year. Nealon has little doubt how he fills seats when he comes to town to perform.

“Aside from my appealing odor, I think I have developed a following that appreciates my familiarity and comedic sensibilities from over the years,” Nealon said.

IF YOU GO: Kevin Nealon will perform at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., Philadelphia, Friday, July 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m. and Saturday, July 6, 7:30 and 10 p.m.